The British government announced on Tuesday a legal reform to strengthen the protection of women and victims of the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. The changes, included in the proposed Crime and Policing Bill, will extend the statute of limitations for reporting such acts—currently set at six months—to three years and will penalize the possession and publication on websites of pornography depicting strangulation or suffocation. According to the government, the reform is a key component of its Plan for Change to "halve violence against women and girls." The Secretary of State for Victims and Violence against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, warned that "misogynistic hate online has devastating consequences" and asserted that "this government will not stand idly by while women are raped online and victimized by violent pornography."

Starting today, adults wishing to access online pornography from the United Kingdom must prove they are over 18 years of age using at least one of the seven age verification systems established by Ofcom, the British regulator of media and audiovisual content, whether television or streaming. This service will be provided by private companies, not the government.